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OpenAI’s $6.6 Billion Share Sale Boosts Valuation to $500 B, Marking Largest Private‑Company Valuation

OpenAI’s $6.6 Billion Share Sale Boosts Valuation to $500 B, Marking Largest Private‑Company Valuation

OpenAI sold $6.6 billion worth of shares held by current and former employees, a transaction that lifted its valuation to $500 billion, the highest ever for a privately held firm. The sale, which involved investors such as SoftBank, Dragoneer Investment Group, Thrive Capital, MGX and T. Rowe Price, was not a traditional funding round because the proceeds went directly to shareholders. The move comes amid heightened competition with Meta’s AI lab, recent large‑scale funding rounds, and strategic partnerships with Oracle, Nvidia and Microsoft, while the company continues to roll out new products like the Sora 2 video model.

Apple Shifts Focus from Vision Pro Overhaul to AI-Powered Smart Glasses

Apple Shifts Focus from Vision Pro Overhaul to AI-Powered Smart Glasses

Apple is redirecting resources from a planned Vision Pro VR upgrade to the development of AI-driven smart glasses. The company is working on two models, including the N50, which will rely on an iPhone for display, and a second version that features its own display to rival Meta's Ray‑Ban smart glasses. While the N50 is slated for unveiling next year with a 2027 release, the display‑equipped model, originally slated for 2028, is being accelerated. Apple currently trails Meta, which introduced its first smart glasses in 2021.

Perplexity Launches Free AI-Powered Comet Browser

Perplexity Launches Free AI-Powered Comet Browser

Perplexity has made its AI‑driven browser, Comet, available to all users at no cost. Initially offered only to high‑paying subscribers, the browser now promises a free forever model while retaining premium features for paid tiers. Comet integrates Perplexity’s search tools and a personal AI assistant that navigates the web alongside users, aiming to simplify tasks such as shopping and travel planning. The company also announced Comet Plus, a few‑dollar add‑on that delivers curated news from major outlets, and highlighted competition from Google, The Browser Company, and Opera as the AI‑browser race intensifies.

OpenAI Launches Sora Social App, Invite Codes Required for Access

OpenAI Launches Sora Social App, Invite Codes Required for Access

OpenAI has introduced Sora, a new social media platform built around AI‑generated video content. The iOS‑only app is currently in a limited rollout for users in the United States and Canada, with access granted through invite codes. Existing paying Pro users receive priority, and each new user receives four additional codes to share. The platform emphasizes that all videos are AI‑generated and includes a disclaimer to that effect. OpenAI plans to expand Sora to more regions soon, while noting a concurrent copyright lawsuit involving Ziff Davis.

Survey Shows AI Automation Limited by Nontechnical Barriers and Human Preference

Survey Shows AI Automation Limited by Nontechnical Barriers and Human Preference

A recent SHRM survey of U.S. workers reveals that while a notable share of tasks can be automated, only a small fraction of jobs are truly at risk. Nontechnical barriers such as client preferences, regulatory constraints, and cost considerations play a major role in limiting AI adoption across occupations. The findings suggest that people‑focused skills remain essential, especially in health‑care and personal‑service roles, and that the AI impact on employment may be more gradual than some industry forecasts predict.

AI‑Generated Images and Videos Evoke Uncanny Valley Reaction, Experts Explain

AI‑Generated Images and Videos Evoke Uncanny Valley Reaction, Experts Explain

AI‑generated images and videos are increasingly populating social media feeds, often looking realistic at first glance but leaving viewers with a subtle sense of unease. Psychologists and human‑robot interaction researchers attribute this discomfort to the uncanny valley effect, where near‑human creations trigger disquiet when they are not perfectly lifelike. Experts such as Dr. Steph Lay and Prof. Christoph Bartneck explain that our brains are wired to spot small irregularities, a skill that once helped detect danger. While the technology improves, the feeling of something being “off” persists, prompting users to stay vigilant and occasionally step away from the screen.

Disagree Bot Challenges the Sycophantic Trend in AI Chatbots

Disagree Bot Challenges the Sycophantic Trend in AI Chatbots

Brinnae Bent, a professor at Duke University, created Disagree Bot as a classroom project to produce an AI that deliberately pushes back on user statements. Unlike mainstream chat assistants that aim to be friendly and agreeable, Disagree Bot starts each reply with "I disagree" and offers well‑reasoned counter‑arguments. Testers found the experience akin to debating with an educated interlocutor, forcing them to clarify and defend their positions. The bot highlights concerns about the "sycophantic" nature of many commercial chatbots, which can over‑agree with users and risk providing misleading affirmation. Bent hopes the tool will inspire more balanced AI designs.

Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free for All Users

Perplexity Makes Comet AI Browser Free for All Users

Perplexity has announced that its Comet AI browser, previously limited to paying Perplexity Max subscribers at $200 per month, is now free for everyone worldwide. The company says the move follows a surge in interest that saw millions sign up for a waitlist, which has now been removed. Comet integrates Perplexity’s AI as the default search engine and offers a sidebar chatbot that can answer questions, summarize text, and even perform actions like sending emails or finding directions. Perplexity also hinted at upcoming mobile versions and an integrative AI assistant, positioning Comet alongside other AI‑enhanced browsers such as Google Chrome and The Browser Company’s Dia.

EU Court Orders Meta to Offer Non-Personalized Feed Options

EU Court Orders Meta to Offer Non-Personalized Feed Options

A Dutch advocacy group, Bits of Freedom, secured a court ruling that forces Meta to give EU users the choice of a chronological, non‑profiling feed. The decision, grounded in the EU Digital Services Act, requires Meta to update its apps within weeks. Meta declined to comment, while Bits of Freedom warned that unchecked algorithmic feeds threaten democratic participation. The case underscores growing concerns about the power of tech platforms to shape public discourse, echoing similar worries in the United States about AI‑driven content and political influence.

Instagram Head Denies Microphone Listening, Cites AI Data for Ad Targeting

Instagram Head Denies Microphone Listening, Cites AI Data for Ad Targeting

Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, used his Instagram account to refute the long‑standing claim that Meta secretly activates users' phone microphones to harvest audio for ad targeting. He explained that the platform does not need to listen to conversations because its recommendation engine already leverages data from advertisers and user behavior. Mosseri also announced that Meta will soon augment its ad‑targeting signals with data gathered from interactions with its AI products, raising new privacy questions while maintaining that any microphone use would be obvious to users.

California’s AI Safety Law Demonstrates Regulation and Innovation Can Align

California’s AI Safety Law Demonstrates Regulation and Innovation Can Align

California’s newly signed AI safety and transparency bill, SB 53, requires large AI labs to disclose safety protocols and adhere to them, aiming to prevent misuse such as cyber‑attacks or bio‑weapon creation. Encode AI’s Adam Billen says the legislation shows policymakers can protect innovation while ensuring safety, noting that many companies already perform model testing and release model cards. While some industry leaders worry about competitive pressure to relax standards, the bill’s enforcement by the Office of Emergency Services seeks to keep safeguards in place. The law has drawn mixed reactions from Silicon Valley, but proponents view it as a model of democratic collaboration.